4When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,H1471H8552H5674H3383H3068H559H3091H5592"Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe.H3947H8147H6240H582H5971H259H7626H3763Tell them, 'Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.'"H6680H559H5375H8432H3383H3548H7272H4673H3559H8147H6240H68H5674H3240H4411H3885H39154So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel.H3091H7121H8147H6240H376H3559H1121H3478H259H7626H3765He told them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the LORD your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.H3091H559H5674H6440H727H3068H430H8432H3383H7311H259H376H68H7926H4557H7626H1121H34786We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'H226H7130H1121H7592H4279H559H687Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's Covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever."H559H4325H3383H3772H6440H727H1285H3068H5674H3383H4325H3383H3772H68H2146H1121H3478H5704H57698So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.H1121H3478H6213H3091H6680H5375H8147H6240H68H8432H3383H3068H1696H3091H4557H7626H1121H3478H5674H4411H32409Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.H3091H6965H8147H6240H68H8432H3383H7272H3548H5375H727H1285H4673H311710The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the LORD's commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed.H3548H5375H727H5975H8432H3383H1697H8552H3068H6680H3091H1696H5971H4872H6680H3091H5971H4116H567411And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the LORD as the people watched.H5971H8552H5674H727H3068H5674H3548H6440H597112The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed.H1121H7205H1121H1410H2677H7626H4519H5674H2571H6440H1121H3478H4872H169613These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the LORD was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho.H705H505H2502H6635H5674H6440H3068H4421H6160H340514That day the LORD made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.H3117H3068H1431H3091H5869H3478H3372H3372H4872H3117H241615The LORD had said to Joshua,H3068H559H3091H55916"Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed."H6680H3548H5375H727H5715H5927H338317So Joshua gave the command.H3091H6680H3548H559H5927H338318As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.H3548H5375H727H1285H3068H5927H8432H3383H3709H3548H7272H5423H2724H4325H3383H7725H4725H3212H1415H8543H803219The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.H5971H5927H3383H6218H7223H2320H2583H1537H4217H7097H340520It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.H8147H6240H68H3947H3383H3091H6965H153721Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?'H559H1121H3478H559H1121H7592H1H4279H559H6822Then you can tell them, 'This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'H1121H3045H559H3478H5674H3383H300423For the LORD your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over.H3068H430H3001H4325H3383H6440H5674H3068H430H6213H5488H3220H3001H6440H567424He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever."H5971H776H3045H3027H3068H2389H3372H3068H430H3117